Proceedings Paper

Research from all over the globe has recently brought attention to the laser as a tool for isotope enrichment. So far the main thrust of this effort has been toward uranium enrichment; however, numerous successes in other areas have been demonstrated. Isotopes of boron, sulfur, chlorine, and carbon have been separated. A new technique is proposed for laser isotope enrichment. The technique, referred to as photodesorption, involves selective isotopic excitation of molecules adsorbed on a surface such that an enrichment results from subsequent physical or chemical events undergone by the excited molecules. The specific processes of concern here are the physical photodesorption enrichment of heavy water from light water and tritiated water from heavy water. The ability to work directly with water molecules has significant advantages for a commercial process. A photodesorption enrichment process has been formulated and some analyses have been performed. This process is described and some preliminary cost estimates are made which assume successful accomplishment of the major R&D objectives of the new process. The results indicate that the process has the promise of a significant reduction in the cost of heavy water and that further study is warranted.